Eminem "expanded" on a song – a full 14 seconds – from his latest album "Revival." (What a Plutonic name for an album!) I tried to listen to the album when it first came out but the "rebirth" of his political stance turned me off.
Let's look at some of the newly added lyrics to the song "Nowhere Fast":
"Sandy Hook, Stoneman Douglas
Another lone-wolf gunman
Sometimes I don't know what this
World has come to, it's blowin' up"
The first line incites grief and sadness; the second line incites fear.
The third and fourth lines claim ignorance while observing trauma unfold.
"And this whole country is goin' nuts
And the NRA is in our way"
Suddenly he has a flash of insight: the NRA is the big bad boogeyman preventing us from feeling safe. He continues:
"They're responsible for this whole production
They hold the strings to control the puppets
And they threaten to take away donor bucks
So they know the government won't do nothin'"
Whew. Inspector Mathers – helping us solve the problems of the world and save the children. Calling politicians "puppets" is trite and obvious; however, claiming the NRA is the wild Snorlax blocking the path to peace and safety is ridiculous. The NRA lobbies for the second amendment rights of Americans and is (mostly) funded by American citizens. There's no clever play on words. No metaphors. No creative language. It appears he is relying on his emotional and artistic expression to support a logical conclusion. Logic cannot be supported by emotion; but, there's a bigger problem. It's not music. It's not art. It's propaganda. I wonder if his audience realizes this? He is delivering a political message under the guise of art and in doing so loses all artistic integrity. Eminem, king of disses and self-proclaimed "Rap God," stifles his unique talents while trying to stand on moral high ground to further a political agenda. I think he innately understands this as later in the song he seems to shy away from what made him so incredibly successful:
"There's a lot of shit I said in jest that's tough to swallow
But if at times my heart it seems
Like it's in the wrong place, it's probably 'cause it's on my sleeve"
Oh boy. Eminem, that "tough to swallow" shit is what made you great. You exposed hypocrisy, were satirical, railed against political correctness and most importantly you were creative. This is one of those times where you should really "stick to what you know."
Of course the man is allowed to have his opinions, but keep in mind he didn't become a household name for trying to solve the problems of the world. It is somewhat reckless for celebrities to use their platform to push politics, especially if they are using their fame to attack our civil rights.
It's funny because he also makes several references to fire and being an "arsonist" on the album, but as far as I can tell he has lost his spark. It has been doused by pandering to an emotionally-charged irrational audience. He's said it himself: he wears his heart on his sleeve. Does that sound like the type of person to detach from a situation to view it objectively? Irrationality makes for a fool when combined with political agendas. As for the man who once complained that the "FCC wont let [him] be" – obviously familiar with the attacks on his freedom of expression – he has now become a verbal puppet for gun-grabbers. His tongue targeting our second amendment rights. Silly. Eminem fails to see the connection between the first and second amendment, and how each is essential to protect the other. Or maybe he is ready to give up both, as he seems to shy away from things he has once said. Let's keep in mind that the man who has consistently called people "faggot" now says
"Why you think he banned transgenders from the military with a tweet? He's tryin' to divide us"
Song title: Like Home
Perhaps the death of Slim Shady he mentioned in "The Marshall Mathers LP2" foreshadowed this uncharacteristically remorseful propaganda-filled album.
Wowsers! Go-Go-Gadget (dis)arm! Inspector Mathers is always on duty.
Please refer to his natal chart (Koch houses) for the astrological symbolism:
Microphone: Moon (emotions) in Aquarius (associations), 3rd house of communication.
Attempting to convey emotions in a logical manner.
"Trump Zinger": Saturn (reputation) in Gemini (communication), 7th house of open enemies.
With at least 5 songs in his new album dissing Trump and attacking his reputation, you could say he has made him an "open enemy."
Needle: Venus (art) in Virgo (health), 9th house of philosophy. Also note transit Neptune (addiction/illusion) is currently in his 3rd house (communication) opposing his natal Venus.
He has a history of struggling with addiction and seems to currently be struggling to see reality for what it is, which is reflected in his art and philosophy.
1A/2A paper: Mercury (communication) in Scorpio (control), 12th house of undoing.
Considering all factors mentioned up to this point, he is using his voice to control an outcome that he appears to have little grasp of outside of an emotional response. He fails to connect the second and first amendment. He's going through a Neptune transit which is affecting his art, philosophy and expression. He's got to work through his illusions or the spark igniting his creative genius will continue to dim.
I hope it isn't snuffed out.